Belarus in 2p World
by D.C. Sally
Summary: Sent to a world unknown, Belarus is forced to interact with the complete opposite of the nations to return to her world. But will she leave a world that leads her out of misery? Or will she return to where she belongs? *Warning: Vulgar language, mild violence*
1. Down The Rabbit Hole

**This chapter is considered "Safe For Work".**

*****Warnings: Coarse language, hinted violence*****

*****Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia or the characters used in this story. The plot, however, is mine.*****

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"Let the world conference convene! Solving all the world's problems today!" The obnoxious voice boomed through the whole room, bouncing off the walls. The countries groaned as America began going off on one of his newest, but extremely impossible, ideas. One only had to wait for the current routine to commence.

First, England would interrupt.

"America, that idea is completely idiotic."

Followed by America's attempt to defend himself... By dragging someone else into it.

"But it's a good idea! Right, Japan?"

Who would agree.

"I-I agree with America-San."

Then another person would retort, most likely Switzerland.

"Japan, stop agreeing with everything America says!"

And then France.

"I disagree with both America and England."

In response to being called out, the two English-speaking countries would direct their sole attention to the Frenchman.

Thus began all other transactions.

All the countries rose, going over to the ones they wished to deal with. The world meeting filled with loud voices and dealings, creating a commotion that could compare to a stuffed subway cart. Countries bustled about, pushing and shoving their ways through the crowd. One, however, had her mind set on a single person.

Slipping through the masses, icy eyes found her brother. He stood confidently, trying to initiate conversation with the formerly occupied England. A smile slowly slipped from his face as the Brit relentlessly yelled at him to try elsewhere. Her hands gripped tightly to her skirt as she approached the two. Each insult the smaller man yelled at her brother increased her anger ten fold. The corner of her mouth twitched angrily as she stepped closer to him.

Sensing a sudden change in the atmosphere, England turned to see an enraged woman stomping towards him. He averted his gaze to Russia, urging him to leave immediately. His eyes darted between the two Slavic nations and sweat beaded on his forehead at the sight of the wrathfully nation. Russia started sweating profusely, taking a few steps back. His smile completely dropped, he hesitantly stepped backed. None of the other countries realized their predicament.

"Russia, she's your sister." His voice shook and cracked.

"S-She is a very strong willed woman... I-I can only run away..." Russia had distanced himself even further, finding that Belarus's attention rested solely on England. Any moment now, he would be out of Belarus's line of sight and receive the opportunity to escape. In the mean time, Russia could only watch the horrified England.

"Blast it!" England kept his eyes on Belarus as he backed towards the doors. His bushy eyebrows twitched towards each other, feeling Belarus's cold gaze. How would he go? To her knives? Or would she rip him up with her bare hands?

As she finally stopped in front of him, England held hands over his face, pressing himself to the wall. His eyes were squeezed tight, not willing to see the true fury of the nation. "P-Please don't hurt me! Let me get my last words first!"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Emerald eyes opened and hands lowered. England straightened to find a furious but not murderous Belarus standing in front of him. Her lips pursued in an extremely pissed off angle, brow twitching. "If you think I give a shit about what you say to my brother, you're right." England winced. "But I've got other reasons to speak to you."

England opened his mouth in surprise before closing it again. Russia always seemed very intimidated by his sister. Maybe she had changed after the Soviet split? Speaking of the bastard, where was he? England looked upward to find the Russian had absconded into the masses. Sighing, he directed his gaze back to the one in front of him. "Well, what is it?"

Her entire face became nonchalant, apparently looking over what had happened earlier. England inwardly sighed in relief to see Belarus could speak like a regular person, "I want to let you know I'm coming to your room later."

Bushy eyebrows darted upward. "Why do you need to do that?!"

Belarus pursued her lips again. "Why not be louder? I'm pretty sure the whole room didn't hear you the first time." England looked up to see several countries looking over at them. The pair did seem a bit out of place. He ushered Belarus out to the hall, closing the door behind them. The dog probably wouldn't speak up for a while.

England looked over at Belarus, placing his hands on his hips. "Well, what is it you want? You could have met up with me any other time besides now."

"I can't travel easily and my boss would obviously notice if I had a nation visitor." She crossed her arms. "If you haven't noticed, I am nothing but shit when it comes to other nations."

His eyes narrowed. "What exactly do you need that your boss doesn't know about?"

Belarus stared at him, her eyes searching for something. She moved her attention to the wall before pointing her right finger at it.

"I can see ghosts. Like that arm over there." England swirled around, emerald eyes searching. He saw nothing more than a blank wall. No ghostly, detached arm in sight. Turning back to Belarus, he scowled.

"Are you bonkers or do you want to make fun of me?"

Belarus blew a puff of air out, almost in amusement. "If I wanted to fuck with someone, there are much better people to use that on than you." An image of a screaming America appeared in England's mind. "But no, I'm serious." Belarus dropped her arms, letting them hang at her side. "I have been seeing them since I was younger and am tired of it." Her eyes darted to his. "Can you do anything about it?"

England sighed. "Why stop now? You didn't seem bothered about it before."

She bit her lip before glaring sternly at him. "I just want it to stop. _Can_ you do that?" Belarus raised an eyebrow in questioning, her voice lowering to a challenging tone. "Or are you the one faking?"

A vein popped at England's forehead. "You're questioning _my_ abilities?" He pulled open his jacket, ruffling through the inside pocket before pulling out a small notebook. Flipping through the pages determinedly, England's eyes scanned the pages. "I can cure your problem right here right now." Belarus crossed her arms expectantly. "I just have to find the spell... Aha!" He tapped the page. "Here's the beauty."

England held his hand out towards Belarus, eyes traveling across the page. He started mumbling inaudible phrases under his breath, concentrating. The nation across from him watched patiently, eyes hiding a sadder light to them. She took one last look at the well-known ghost arm that had always stuck out of the world meeting place's wall. Belarus pursued her lips. This was for the best.

England's voice gained confidence and the center of his palm formed a ball of green light that rivaled the emerald of his eyes. A smile of pride gathered on his face as he felt his spell growing towards its climax. Finally, one of his spells was going to work! He kept reading from the page, glancing at times at the silent nation standing across from him. His spell would cure her problem, no doubt!

As his voice almost grew to the point of yelling, England could feel his magic coursing through his veins. His eyes widened in excitement. _Just wait, Belarus_, he thought proudly, his mouth still running off a long forgotten language. _You'll see I'm no_-

The door flew open, throwing England off balance.

"England!" Germany yelled as the Brit fell. "What the hell are you doing?"

From there, everything happened at once.

England cussed, interrupting the steady flow of the magic. The ball in the middle of his hand burst forward, hitting Belarus square in the chest. She took a few steps back as magic surged around her. Time seemed to be rushing past her, thousands of years racing to the end; yet, she also felt sluggish, as if the world's rotation slowly worked towards a halt. Her hair whirled about her face as she watched the ball of light push into her body. The body she had held for so long felt like it was slipping away, like sand trickling through open fingers.

She raised her eyes, to the sight in front of her. The one she had sought help from had been sprawled on the floor, watching in horror as his uncompleted spell swallowed her whole. He reached out to her, as if to save her. In that moment, when the world rushed to its end and came to a halt, she realized that she didn't need saving.

She was doomed from the beginning.


	2. Mad Man

**This chapter is considered "Safe For Work."**

*****Warnings: Violence, Blood, and Coarse Language.*****

*****Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia nor the characters in this chapter. The plot is mine.*****

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Eyelashes fluttered open as she became conscious once more. Her body felt heavy and ached. Slowly, she forced her muscles to function once more. Her fingers were the first to respond, twitching erratically. After a few minutes, Belarus had regained control of her arms. She pushed herself up, stretching upward and outward to loosen her muscles.

"It's like I just woke up from a dream I couldn't escape..." Sleep terrors, right? She rarely had those now a days but she had a fair share of them. With the exclusion of the metal taste in her mouth, this feeling was spot on. Her fingers pressed against the cool floor as she tried to regain memories of what had happened. "Right... He..." Belarus placed her hands on her lap. "He tried to help me..." Her eyes stared blankly at the floor before raising to the familiar spot on the wall. No ghostly arm waved to her. "It seemed like it worked."

Her eyes narrowed. "Speaking of the bastard, where is he?" Where was anyone for that matter. The hall oozed silence and the hall light was off. There was a possibility they just left her on the floor but to let her sleep through the whole meeting? Someone would have noticed... Wouldn't they?

Tired of asking herself unanswered questions, Belarus pushed herself to her feet. She swayed unsteadily at first but forced herself to remain standing. Slowly, she made her way down the hall to the entrance. Her heels clacked against the cool wooden floor, echoing off the walls. The building seemed sadder at night but more comforting. Shadows danced off the walls and Belarus watched as they scattered as quickly as they came.

She came to the front doors, testing them at first. They refused to move. Annoyed and not in the mood to try elsewhere, she pulled out a hairpin and proceeded to pick the lock. Her struggle became fruitful after a few minutes of wiggling and poking. At the click, Belarus opened the door, feeling the cold night air rush in.

Surprised at the time of day, she walked out to the front yard, looking up at the sky. The full moon was at its zenith, shining its pale rays over the Earth. Another cool breeze swept over her as she stood in the moonlight. A deep calm passed over her, something she always felt at night. Taking filling breaths, Belarus let her eyes close. The silence was beautiful.

With the breaking of a branch, icy eyes flew open and scanned the dark surroundings. They fell upon a man who had his foot crunching the branch even more. He had broken it deliberately. The stood tall despite his short stature, each step steady and firm. As he approached leisurely, Belarus could see the outline of a face and the shadow of bangs falling over his face. What caught her most were his eyes. A shade of red she could only describe as a glowing rubies.

He stopped only a few feet away, examining her closely before giving a smile. She frowned in response, causing him to raise his eyebrows. "Ms. Belarus, I do think that is you." He dropped the smile, procuring an annoyed frown. "And I don't take well to intruders."

Belarus jumped backwards, stumbling a bit. She cussed at the sight of a strange weapon in his hands: a long pole with a blade attached to the end. The man sported an amused grin, pleased he could play with her for a little longer. He stood tall as he rested the end of the weapon on the ground. Belarus reached under her skirt, drawing out a knife for each hand.

Her opponent raised his eyebrows in surprise before shifting to a fighting position. He seemed to be beckoning to her. _Make the first move._

Belarus surveyed her opponent, judging how to attack. After a moment of contemplation, she surged forward. The man shifted to the side, attempting to cut her inner arm. She pivoted in the other direction, his blade barely nicking her. With a toss, her knife flew towards his shoulder. He dodged just as easily as she had.

He jabbed forward again, only to watch her jump up and deal a swift kick to his face, bringing him to one knee. She landed gracefully, remaining at a distance as the weapon swung in an outward arc. Belarus straightened, watching as the man nurse his cheek before standing up himself. He glanced at her before giving a pleased laugh, relaxing his grip on his strange weapon. In response, she too let her daggers fall to her side but did not put them away.

"You are most definitely not Ms. Belarus."

Her eyes narrowed. "Who exactly are you to claim I am not Belarus?"

The man gave a dramatic bow, sweeping his arm to his chest and bowing his head low. "I am Honda Kiku, representation of the country of Japan."

Belarus crossed her arms. "Nice try, bastard, but you are no Japan." _Despite looking almost exactly like him._

He lifted his head from his bow but kept his torso in place. "Now what are your qualifications to say such a thing?" His body straightened and he leaned the weapon inward to get a better look of the blade. "And I detest liars much more than I detest intruders."

"I am the Republic of Belarus." The Japan imposter raised an eyebrow.

"Human pseudonym?" She hesitated for a moment, perturbed by the thought of giving him her name. He chuckled. "It's Natalya Arlovskaya, isn't it?" Belarus cringed, making him chuckle once more. "Such an interesting situation we have here. Now, I have some questions for you and you will answer them."

Belarus pursued her lips. "And why is that?"

"Because this." He stepped forward, catching her off guard. She stepped back but the Japan imposter steadily kept it under her chin. He raised it slightly, letting her feel the coolness of metal. The Asian man tsked. "Caught off guard with a strange man in a strange place. Such a big mistake." He tapped her chin with his weapon. "Drop the knives. All of them." The man then tilted his head. "Or maybe you wouldn't mind dying? It takes quite a bit of energy but regeneration doesn't usually take long. Especially a little knife wound to the throat."

Her eyes widened. "What the fuck are you talking about?"

"Psh. Stop playing dumb. I know you're a nation so you obviously have the abilities of one. You should be able to regenerate as well as tell that I am a nation. Now drop the knives." She glared at the man. This mad bastard had his head screwed on too tight. At this rate, her death was inevitable. Better to go down fighting.

Pulling her right arm back, she prepared to throw her knife. The Japanese man moved instinctively, shifting his blade to the left and wounding the inside of her forearm. The blade dug in deep at such close range. She fell to her knees, dropping both of her knives. The Japan imposter sighed, holding the weapon at her cringing figure.

"Being overdramatic is so cliche." He motioned to the wound with the tip of his weapon. "It'll heal. Just give it a minute." She looked up at him angrily, holding down the wound the best she could with her hand.

"I don't know who you are and how you know about countries… But these ideas you have shoved into your skull are insane." Her eyes went back to her arm and the blood steadily flowing over her fingers. She grabbed one of the knives from beside her, starting to cut out a wrapping from her skirt.

The Japan imposter watched her, shaking his head. Wasting such a good dress was a shame. He kept his blade at her, in case she got other ideas about her knife. "I don't know why you're making such a big deal out of it."

Two minutes passed as Belarus finally finished wrapping her wound. The blood seeped through in a matter of seconds. Death by blood loss. How messy. She wondered if her ghost would be stained with it.

"Hey…" She looked up to see the man above her slightly shaking. "It should have healed by now… Why are you still bleeding?" His pupils dilated, eyebrows furrowed, he started to lower his weapon. "You're a nation. That shouldn't still be there."

Belarus glared at him menacingly. Her arm had been tingling for the past few minutes and her vision was starting to get blurry. "I'm a nation. Not invincible."

The man threw his weapon to the side, wrestling off his jacket. He knelt, wrapping it around her wounded arm in a hurry. She stared at him in shock. "What the fuck are you doing?"

He kept his eyes on the wound. "Pale," he muttered to himself. "Dazed eyes. Increased heart rate. Signs of irritability, though it seems to be a character trait. Class two blood loss. My guess, hopefully only a liter." The man pulled the jacket tighter around her arm before looking her straight in the eye. "Making sure you don't die."

Two arms lifted her up and the man rested her head against his shoulder. Belarus growled despite feeling faint. "Put me down, shit-face."

"No way in hell." Her head bumped up and down on his chest, feeling extremely faint. Un-familiar fabric rubbed against her cheek as her body seemed to be rising and falling rapidly. Her eyelids fluttered as he came to a halt, fumbling for something. She felt herself hurriedly dropped into the car and the wind of a door slamming. Consciousness flowed in and out of her as she heard the blurry noise of a car engine.

"Hey. Stay with me now. Can you hear me?"

Belarus let her head fall to the window as she let out a groan.

"Come on, talk to me. We need to keep you conscious."

"It's…"

"Yes, what is it?"

"…Really… Cold…"

"Natalya! Natal… talya… Nat… ya!"

With that, her eyes closed in hopes of something better.

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_**Author's Note:**_

_**It took FOREVER to find information about Japan's weapon. Not to **_**_mention the blood loss. I stressed so much over this _****_despite needing to do other things. _****_ Reviews about the fighting and injured stories would really help._**


	3. Out of This World

**This chapter is considered "Safe For Work."  
***Warnings: Violence, Blood, and Coarse Language.***  
***Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia nor the characters in this chapter. The plot is mine.*****

* * *

Slowly, Belarus came to. She shook her head a bit, trying to pull herself out of the strange dream she had. With a deep breath, the scent of her surroundings forced her eyes open.

_Bleach._

She stared up at the blank white ceiling, scowling as she realized she had been resting on a hospital bed. When the fuck did that happen? Lifting her arms up for a stretch, she found her right forearm had been wrapped tightly and a blood bag attached to her opposite arm. The haze lifted steadily as she stared at the cotton fabric.

_Oh yeah… That bastard did this._

Giving herself a push, she sat up and got a better survey of her surroundings. Plain walls, an empty floor, an open window to her right, and a chair next to her bed. Her eyebrows furrowed as to who would have been sitting there. Within seconds of her question, the door creaked open.

"You're awake."

The memory of his shaking figure returned to her the moment her eyes met his. She scowled. "What? Didn't tell them you did this?" The imposter sighed, walking over to the seat. His arm shot up, forcing something ticklish in her face. Pushing it back with her good arm, her eyebrows furrowed as she took it. "What the fuck is this?"

"An apology present?" Belarus stared at him in annoyance.

"You almost kill me and you give me this?" She shook the stuffed bear in his face. "A pincushion?"

He took the toy from her, loosening the bow around its neck. "Well, I thought it was cute." His eyes lifted up. "And I don't always buy gifts for nations I almost kill so-"

"I don't want it." He sent her a glance of annoyance before wrapping his arms around it.

"Fine. I'll keep it." The man toyed with it as Belarus gave an exasperated sigh and turned away from him. Her eyes stayed glued to the wall, slowly drifting off again.

From his seat, the man glanced back up at her. He watched as she silently stared at the wall, seeming to be deep in thought. When she wasn't saying anything, this 'Belarus' seemed quite… attractive. He straightened in his seat, letting the bear fall to his lap. Who- no, what was this woman? From what he felt, he could verify she was a nation. Yet why didn't that heal? His eyes darted to her arm and the bandage.

The doctors had reported she had suffered severe blood loss. However, her body seemed to have quite a miraculous amount of resistance, especially surviving a ten minute drive to the hospital with that kind of wound. Upon arriving in the emergency room, he watched as the paramedics sped her away. Standing from a distance, he wondered briefly if he had heard her last words. Seeing her sitting before him was by far a relief. She may not have the healing abilities of a nation but her resistance was incredible.

He studied her expression carefully, collecting a brief summary of the one he nearly killed/saved. Her eyes were distant and her hair framed her face in such a way that outlined the curve of her cheek. Her lips hung slightly parted and at this angle he noticed the stubbornness of her chin. Her brow had relaxed, as if he were no longer in the room. What made her make such a face?

"What are you thinking about?" With a blink, her annoyed expression returned and she glared angrily at him. He cleared his throat, frowning. "I still didn't get your name."

Her hard eyes focused on his. He did not look away despite the intensity of the gaze. Instead, the man motioned for her to answer his question. She frowned. "Belarus."

Another sigh, this time accompanied by the shake of a head. "Well, you can't be Belarus. There is already another Belarus."

"Then you can't be Japan."

"And why is that?"

"Because the other Japan isn't such a son of a bitch."

"Har har. Very funny." He leaned back in his seat, the bear resting against his torso. "For the time being, let's just say I believe you're Belarus and you'll believe I'm Japan. It'll clear up any confusion." She thought a moment before nodding. "So call me Honda and I'll call you Ms. Arlovskaya."

Belarus shifted upward. "Why the hell are you calling me by my human name?"

He ran a hand through his hair before rubbing his temple. "Because humans can't know we're countries..?"

Her hands curled into fists. What was this maniac talking about? "But they already know that countries exist."

He sighed, interlocking his fingers and placing his joined hands on the side of the bed. "Let me explain to you how things work since the blood loss seems to have effected your brain." He pointed to the both of them. "We are nations. Nations know how to find other nations. Nations don't die unless their culture dies. Nations can sense other nations in their territory." Japan lifted his arm, signaling to the door. "They do not know _we_ exist. To them, we are humans that have power in the government and thus can get away with a lot of things. So _we_," he motioned once more between the two of them, "Use our human names. Since we are under conditional immortality, we can kill each other often without consequences. Is it coming back to you yet?"

She glared at him. "Your fucking head is screwed on all wrong. Does it look like I regenerated? No. Does it look like I knew you were a country? No. Do you fucking think I would have survived this injury without treatment despite my country prospering? Fuck no!" Belarus raised her arms in indignation. "So stop giving me all this bull-crap about nations! We've been recognized by the world as humanoids since before my country existed. Calling ourselves by our country names won't do anything. We are as susceptible to death as humans." Her voice lowered, becoming sharper. "As long as no one _kills_ us, we live." She narrowed her eyes at him accusingly. He stared right back but with more of a questioning light to them. Their eye contact contracted inexistent sparks.

After a moment of silence, Japan finally pulled away to reach into his jacket. "Look, I'm showing you how this works." Belarus's eyes widened at the sight of the familiar object.

"How the hell did you bring a knife into a hospital?" Japan sent a warning glare towards her.

"Don't ask questions. Just watch." He held rolled back the sleeve of his jacket, exposing his wrists. Positioning the blade carefully, he cut a small abrasion. A thin trail of blood started to form. Belarus opened her mouth to retort only to close it once more. Slowly, the skin sealed itself back up, leaving only the blood that had leaked out. "There? See? It healed." He grinned up at her, pleased to have made her speechless.

"Fucking shit…" She finally muttered.

"I'm not lying." He unrolled his sleeve, tugging it out in a failed attempt to get rid of wrinkles. "But you aren't either." Japan tucked the knife back into his jacket. Belarus watched as he stuffed her possession into his clothing. Hopefully she would get it back. Japan raised his head again, lifting an eyebrow at her line of sight. He gave her an amused grin only to watch her send a cold glare. With a chuckle, he brushed it off. "So my theory is if you answer my question we may be able to find out why this is happening." He paused for dramatic effect and smiled at the rolling of her eyes. "How did you end up in the middle of my country?"

Belarus remained silent, thinking carefully. Again, Japan caught sight of the distant gaze she possessed. This time, slightly biting her bottom lip. "I was at a world meeting. When I spoke to England, he said he would help me out with a problem using his magic. He cast the spell and I blacked out. I found myself on the floor of the meeting place." She turned her eyes to his, confusion lighting them. "No one else was there."

Japan leaned back in his seat, placing his ankle on his opposite knee. "That's because the meeting was last month. The lights are motion sensitive so they may have been triggered when you woke up. From what I can recollect, you were there for at least two hours. During that time, I had sensed you and made my way to the meeting place. I searched around the premise and found you standing outside."

He removed his leg and placed both feet firmly on the floor, leaning both elbows on his knees. Belarus watched as Japan finally stopped grilling her. His eyes narrowed as he processed the information. "From what I can conclude," he said once more, breaking the silence Belarus preferred, "the magic 'England' used sent you to a parallel world. Aka, here."

Exasperated, Belarus moved a piece of her hair behind her ear. "You're insane."

Japan lifted his eyes upward but did not move from his position. "Magic is insane. But its also real. So just accept the fact you're stuck here. And that I will be your caretaker." She gave a dry chuckle. Japan straightened, glancing at the wall clock. "Ah, the time. I have a meeting with Feliciano and Ludwig."

Belarus turned her attention to her wristband, staring at it absentmindedly. "Good riddance."

He stood up, causing the chair to squeal against the floor. "Don't be so rude, Ms. Arlovskaya-" Japan stepped back as Belarus lashed out with her right hand. He caught it, frowning at her. "Woah there, you're still recovering."

She scowled at him, tightening her fist. "Call me Belarus for fuck's sake."

Japan sighed. "Don't you remember I said humans can't know about us? As long as you're in my world, you'll have to follow our rules."

Belarus remained silent before nodding reluctantly. She let her hand drop to her side. "…Fine. For the time being call me Arlovskaya."

He nodded in turn. "You can address me as Mr. Honda." He turned towards the door. "I'll be off now." As Japan made his way to the exit, Belarus watched him. The way he moved... She could only describe it cocky. The overconfident bastard acted as if he owned the room. Each stride, powerful. His head held high, shoulders broad...

"Don't come back," she called to him as he started out the doorway, averting her eyes.

He turned back, leaning on the doorway and giving her a teasing grin. "You know I will." As he turned again, Belarus felt as if he were insinuating something more. As if something had slipped her mind.

She glanced to the side to find the bear sitting on the chair, it's beady eyes trained on her with a playful look. A vein throbbed as she grabbed it and threw it at the door and into the hallway. "And take your shitty bear with you!" Belarus growled angrily. This bastard was going to be the end of her.

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**_Author's Note:_**

**_The introduction of 2p!Japan! It took a while to shape his character the way I wanted but hopefully I got the message through. Sorry if you got bored with all the talking! I didn't know how else to introduce it... In the next chapter, we'll be seeing a couple more 2ps!_**


	4. Tea Party

**This chapter is considered "Safe For Work."**

*****Warnings: Violence Mention, Blood Mention, Gore Mention, and Natural Disaster Mention.*****

*****Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia nor the characters in this chapter. The plot is mine.*****

* * *

The gravel crackled under the pressure of the tires, spraying about. A red car slowly pulled to the right, parking adjacent to the sidewalk. As the brakes were put in place, the engine purred to a stop. Japan laid his head back, taking a deep breath before looking over at the passenger seat. From his angle, he could spot dried blood on the right side of the cushion as well as on the seatbelt and door. The smell, originally similar to a jar of coins, luckily had died down a bit.

Turning his head, he looked at himself from the rear view mirror. Being used to long sleepless nights, his eyes shown no bags nor signs of lack of sleep. He rearranged his hair a bit before sighing, unwilling to go at such lengths to fix himself for his companions. After placing the mirror back into place, he opened the door and slammed it shut before making his way to his destination.

He did not have to walk far to make it to the restaurant. The area in general seemed quite tranquil, a feature he had never really caught before despite coming multiple times. His view of the area usually was associated with work and world meetings, so that may have been a contributing factor to this overlooked detail. Nevertheless, he continued onward in the afternoon sun, entering the familiar establishment.

Japan was greeted with low lights and the comforting smell of the ocean. More specifically, seafood. He nodded at the hostess who curtly nodded back, letting him pass without a word. Japan wove through the tables, sending a smile to the other diners who glancing at him in confusion. They turned away after a moment, deciding it best not to question more than they needed to.

He finally made his way to a low table placed next to a window, far from the other occupied tables. Two diners occupied it, both seated across from each other and chatting lightly over dining choices. The first to look up was a dark haired redhead who's hair framed his face loosely. He smiled casually, raising his hand as Japan approached. "Ciao, Kiku. You took long enough."

Japan gave a light chuckle. "It's nice to see you too, Feliciano." He nodded towards the other, a blonde man of German background who looked up from his menu at the greeting of his first companion. "Ludwig, it's a pleasure to see you here at all." Germany frowned, clearly not amused at the comment.

Italy cracked a small smile. "I made sure he did. But I'm surprised we arrived here before you." He motioned to the seat next to him. "Here, sit." Japan nodded, accepting the invitation and taking the place next to Italy.

"I appreciate you two coming at such great lengths to be here. It must have been very sudden for me to change our plans." Japan picked up the menu, glancing over the first page. "To be frank, I enjoy this restaurant to the one we had planned before. The air out here is so much fresher than the air in the city."

Germany frowned, leaning into the table and sending a sneer Japan's way. "You only like this sushi restaurant more because we have to use chopsticks." He scoffed as Japan sent a sly grin his way. "_Fresh air_."

Japan set his menu down and placed his interlocked hands on the table. "Well, this is a wonderful time for you both to practice. After all, we're always going to Westerner restaurants and it can be such a drab after a while." He propped his elbows on the table, letting his chin rest on his fingers. "Tell me, how has your vacation in Japan been?"

Italy turned towards Japan, twisting a bit at the middle. "Oh, it's been good for the both of us. I'm just glad we were able to get some time off." He motioned towards Germany. "Without Ludwig's help, we wouldn't have been able to have this little outing."

Japan nodded, half listening as his mind wandered elsewhere. He raised his hand, calling a server over. Italy let his eyes fall on Japan and he opened his mouth only to change to a smile as a waiter came by with towels. The three took a moment to wipe their hands. After placing the rolled up towels in the middle of the table, the waiter stood patiently for their orders.

Italy and Germany exchanged glances, still unsure as to what to eat. Japan covered his mouth with his hand, hiding his amused grin. Served them right for always going to westerner restaurants. Their Japanese must have been out of practice. Japan raised his hand to the waiter, saving his friends from 'harmless embarrassment'. He glanced down at the menu, calling out what he saw was interesting.

"Ebi no nigiri to kani no nigiri onegaishimashu. Sake sashimi wo futatsu onegaishimashu. Eto... Patī no mariawose onegaishimashu."

The waiter scribbled down the order and looked up again politely. "O-nomimono wa?"

"O-mizu wo kudasi." The server nodded, walking off. He gave a satisfied smile at the two Europeans. "See what happens when we always go to Westerner restaurants?" Germany just frowned at him, upset that his pride had been hit by the Asian nation. Italy let it off with a shrug.

"So, Kiku," Italy started, "There must be another reason you had us come here. After all, it's two hours away from where we originally were." Japan smiled politely.

"Did I not say I wished to have some fresh air?"

Italy ran a hand through his hair, visibly distressed at his little choice of words. "What I mean is, I can expect this kind of thing from Ludwig, I mean, we all can," Ludwig gave a grunt of agreement. "But you, Kiku? What's really going on? You can tell us."

Japan examined both of his friends as they studied his own expression. Truly curious, these Westerners. Always wanting to know the answers to everything. Japan was the first to give, sighing.

"Alright. To put it simply, I had sensed something last night."

Italy and Germany exchanged glances, almost of relief. Germany leant forward onto the table. "So you felt it, too."

The Asian's eyes widened, eyebrows raised. His mouth parted only to close once more. Did they know about her? No... If they did he would have noticed them at the hospital. Then again, he was too occupied worrying about Belarus last night to check on the other nations in his country. The thought of killing someone after so long... Shocked him. "...What do you mean?" He asked, prying himself from his stupor.

Italy tilted his head. "So you don't know the whole story?" Japan shook his head. "We felt something last night."

"We? As in you and Ludwig?"

"We as in _all_ of us."

His eyes stared, trying to process what was just said. So... All the countries felt something. He interlocked his fingers and set them on his lap. "Please, tell me more about this 'something'."

Germany spoke up next. "We woke up last night out of no where, a strange feeling digging at us. I guess everyone felt it around midnight. A few minutes after I woke up, my brother called me to make sure I was alright. I got even more calls after that from other European countries, some I haven't even talked to in a long time."

Italy nodded. "Same here. My brothers are always busy in Italy so getting a call from them out of the blue is a surprise. Especially if it's to check on my well being."

"So everyone started checking up on everyone? I received no calls."

Italy started playing with a strand of hair. "You see, we also got calls from Asian countries saying they couldn't contact you. Apparently you weren't answering your cell, your home phone, your work phone. We felt relieved that you contacted us this morning and let them know you were alright."

Japan bit his lower lip in thought. He had left his phone in his car and had spent the whole night at the hospital. When he checked it, there were missed calls but he had over looked the number. Japan slipped out his phone. Apparently, he had more missed calls than he had originally thought.

"This is quite a surprise... I left late last night to take care of some business and left my phone in my car."

Italy raised an eyebrow. "Business? Did you sense something in _this_ country?"

Placing the phone back in his pocket, he turned to the two. "Speaking of such a matter in a public place does not seem proper. Especially when this is to be a friendly outing."

A hand slammed against the table, causing them to jump. Bright purple eyes dug into Japan's, fury seething inside them. "Honda, this isn't time for one of your little mind games. We're in a panic and you're hiding something. If that doesn't seem suspicious then what do you suppose we make of this? Do you expect us to just sit down here and eat sushi?"

Japan stared at him, poker faced, before shrugging. "Well, kind of. After all, I did order a lot of it." Germany let out a frustrated groan and face palmed. Italy let out a sigh but an amused smile danced across his lips.

A waiter came by, visibly shaking. "Is... Everything good?" Japan nodded.

"Hai. Ore no tomodachi ga tada kake o shitsurimashita. Daijōbudesukedo. Tte, tabemono wa?"

The waiter nodded rapidly, still sneaking glances at the angry German. "Shibarakuomachikudasai." He hurried off.

"Ludwig," Italy said, still trying to wipe the smile off his face, "We talked about this. Yelling doesn't always get the answers we want." He turned to Japan. "But I agree. With this kind of commotion, keeping secrets is not a wise move." The Asian stayed silent, thinking carefully on what to say. "Now being quiet is not the usual Kiku we know of. Is it really too important to tell us?"

Japan cast his eyes downward, deep in thought. Italy and Germany waited patiently, their eyes settled on him. Their wait extended so far as to when the waiter came with their food and drinks and set them on the table. The food sat there for several minutes before Japan lifted his eyes again.

"I found someone last night. A girl."

Italy, who had been drinking from his glass, dramatically performed a spit-take. The blonde man frowned, wiping the dripping substance from his face. Italy started cackling. "Kiku found a girl? That's what this was about?" He cupped his face with both hands. "Tell me! What's she like? She must be reaaaaally special if you didn't want to share."

Japan placed his hand on Italy's face and pushed him back. "Always getting hyped up when I speak about women. No, that's not what I meant. She calls herself Natalya Arlovskaya."

Germany paused from wiping his face, the napkin drooping in his grip. "You mean... The one from Belarus?" Italy's face dropped, his now lack of interest obvious.

Japan shook his head, chuckling. "She is definitely from Belarus as well as one of _us_. But this is not the Ms. Arlovskaya we are used to." He took a sip from his drink. "I caused a great deal of harm to her last night. I'm still trying to think of a way to get rid of the stains in my car."

The three sat silently. Italy took out his chopsticks from the paper wrapping, snapping them in two. "Ok, so you dragged her bloody carcass somewhere before she regenerated. Whatever for?"

Japan looked dully at the table top. "...It's not that simple... How do I explain this..." He shook his head, placing his hands together and bowing slightly at the food before snapping his chopsticks in half. "We should eat first. Before I lose my appetite."

Germany and Italy followed Japan, bowing at the food before picking sushi from the platters and putting them on their own plates. They chewed mechanically, enjoying the calm and silence as it lasted. The meal was finished soon enough, each one thinking on their own. Japan waved over a waiter, asking for the check.

"Issho," he called. The waiter came by with the check and Japan placed down the money as well as a tip. "And please put the rest in a box." The server scurried off before returning quite rapidly, packing the food for him. Japan took the box and nodded. "Gochisou sama deshita." The waiter nodded in turn before moving back towards the kitchen.

Italy stretched his arms up. "Ah, the food was quite good. I had a bit of difficulty using chopsticks so I was glad to use my hands."

Germany gave a 'hmph'. "I used them just fine." He turned again to Japan. "So, where is Natalya now?"

Japan took another sip from his drink, letting the ice clank at the bottom of the glass. "She would be quite irritated if you called her by her first name. I am only allowed to address her by her last name."

Italy scoffed. "Upset? That doesn't sound like her at all."

"Because this is not our Arlovskaya." He set down his glass, taking the box and rising. "As for where she is, she is in the hospital a few miles from here. I'll be taking these to her. Hopefully, she's calmed down a bit."

Italy stood up, wiping down his wrinkled pants. "We'll go with you. After all, one of _us_ in a hospital is quite intriguing." He looked over to Germany. "You're a specialist on our anatomy. When was the last time one of _us_ was in the hospital?"

Germany stood up, tugging the sleeves of his sweater outward. "Off the top of my head, 2011."

Japan winced visibly and Italy shot him a worried glance. "Mi dispiace... Forgot."

The Asian waved it off. "I recovered from it with all of your assistance. However, there are more pressing matters than looking to the past. Are you coming or not?"

Italy placed a hand on Japan's shoulder, as if comfortingly. "We'll follow your car. After all, Ludwig and I carpooled." Japan thought for a moment before nodding. They made their way out of the establishment, going their separate ways. No words were shared as they brought their vehicles onto the road.

The small red car was in the lead and from his rear view mirror, Japan could spy a black convertible following him. With the top down, Japan could see the Italian in the driver's seat, sunlight glinting off of dark sunglasses and hair flapping in the wind. Germany was in the passenger seat, arm against the side and staring out at the passing trees. He had a pouting expression on his face. Japan chuckled, returning his eyes to the road in front of him.

_Leave it to Feliciano to hog the wheel_, Japan thought to himself. _But it would be best for him to drive rather than Ludwig_. Just thinking about how the German would recklessly tear up his country road side upset him. He kept his mind on the wheels and the spraying of the gravel. Ms. Arlovskaya would hopefully accept their company if there was more than just him. Hopefully.

* * *

**_Translations:_**

**Ebi no nigiri to kani no nigiri onegaishimashu. Sake sashimi wo futatsu onegaishimashu. Eto... Patī no mariawose onegaishimashu. - **_One shrimp nigiri and one crab nigiri. Two salmon sashimis. Er... And one party platter._

**O-nomimono wa? -**_ How about drinks?_

**O-mizu wo kudasi. - **_Water, please._

**Ore no tomodachi ga tada kake o shitsurimashita. Daijōbudesukedo. Tte, tabemono wa? - **_My friend just lost a bet. He will be alright. And our food?_

**Shibarakuomachikudasai. - **_Please wait._

**Issho. - **_Together._

**Gochisou sama deshita. - **_Thank you for your role in preparing this food._

* * *

**_Author's Note:_**

**_A shout out to my friend who helped me with the Japanese, my friend who reads before I post (not a Beta Reader), and the inventors of Google (originally known as Backrub) which helped me to research the Japanese etiquette in general. For my readers, I'd like to let you know that I am looking for BetaReaders for this story. If you don't want to BetaRead, then a review would reaaaaaally help. Have a suggestion for the 2ps? Leave it in the reviews or PM me. I pretty much have a layout of what I want to do with my characters but I'm still trying to shape them just so. If I like your character, I'll be sure to mention you here. Be sure to check out my other fanfic "An End Is A Beginning" which is currently undergoing MAJOR PLOT RECONSTRUCTION. That will probably be my only fanfic with OCs since I prefer to stick to the canon buuuuut I may or may not make others. For now, that will be it- Oh wait! For those of you who didn't skip over this author's note, you get to be informed of a new fanfic I MAY be posting soon (but due to rereading it, I noticed that I need a LOT of editing due to oocness and yada yada). These are two characters that I shipped even before I shipped my OTP. Yes, they are in the Hetalia fandom and yes, they are canon characters. It will be a Human AU that I wrote a loooooong time ago so I'll have to make some modifications. That's it from me this chapter. Hope you're enjoying the story!_**


	5. The Looking Glass

**This chapter is considered "Safe For Work."**

*****Warnings: None.*****

*****Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia nor the characters in this chapter. The plot is mine.*****

* * *

_In a way, her eyes were already open as she slipped into her world. She took a moment to readjust to the strange lighting before remembering where she was. Natalya sat up letting her fingers dig into the soft bed covers. A large canopy shadowed the bed and the drapes were drawn close. Crawling across the Queen sized bed, Natalya pushed open the curtains and stepped into her furred slippers._

_"I'm here again," she said to no one in particular. Her eyes traveled around, taking in the circular room and its familiar contents. She stopped at the wall clock, noting the time shown before walking to it. Taking a chair from the corner, she removed it from the wall and stared at its unmoving arms. Natalya turned it over, twisting the knob backwards and checking to see if the time was correctly arranged. When the short hand reached the five and the long hand reached the twelve, she stopped, letting the object rest in her hands. The second hand sprang to life, ticking away._

_Her gaze rose to the small window to her right that shed the lights of sunrise. Shuffling over, she looked out and saw the horizon in the distance, the sun peeking over the hillside. The land was painted by its rays and Natalya could only breathe in happily. She felt at home at last. Her eyes wandered and settled upon the clock in her hands, the short arm now at eight._

_A short breath, a still heart, eyes that were forced to look downward. Below her- miles below her- people walked around like ants. Somehow, she could still observe them clearly despite their blurry outlines. A smile here and there, a woman with a hair bun, a grandpa with a cane, a child with his dog. All oblivious to her. She was trapped and they did not notice her as they walked around the tower like it didn't exist._

_Isolation... Like the man on the moon. What crime did she do to deserve to get this? At first she opened her mouth to yell down to them, only to stop and close it again. What would she yell to them? Help? Get me out? There seemed to be no way to escape her confinement._

_She settled for looking back at the clock for guidance, eyebrows raised as she found two hours had slipped by. Natalya looked down at the people below and noticed a group of performers had set up and began to perform. A small smile creeped onto her face as she watched their antics, occasionally cheering them on. She loved the juggler, entranced by the way he tossed the daggers in the air, as well as the lion tamer who bravely battled the ferocious animal. However, her favorites by far were the acrobats, that moved as if gravity itself could not hold them down. As the circus departed, she sighed happily and turned back to her refined prison. _

_Slowly, she reached up to her cheeks. A smile had slipped onto her face unexpectedly. Her fingers danced on her skin, feeling around her smile. Natalya felt… Happy. Happiness slowly washed over her as she realized her smile. When was the last time she smiled? Far too long ago. She kept the smile on her face as she looked down at her other hand._

_She looked down to find the clock now signaled a new time, one close to noon. Something began digging at her as she stared at the hands. There was something wrong. Something off. Natalya gripped the sides of the clock, as if it could answer her question. The hands spun in front of her eyes, the smaller one inching towards the one and the larger one spinning. The large hand halted at the twelve and she felt… relief._

_"You've forgotten." Natalya felt a smile creep onto her face. "You've… forgotten." She let out a giggle she didn't even know she was holding back. "You've… forgotten!" Natalya danced around the room happily, the clock between her hands. It's hand flew to the two as she laughed and smiled. "It's alright!" She let herself fall onto the bed, letting the mattress cocoon her as she bounced up and down. Her laugh was hysterical and relieving. _

_Natalya turned onto her stomach. The clock now lay on her pillow, as if waiting. "You've got to move on now," she hummed happily. The timepiece seemed to hesitate before the long hand began moving once more, as quickly as before. She rested her chin on interlocked hands, accepting the warmth and comfort of the bed. Yes, now she can move on. Just like the timepiece. A smile cracked on her face as she let out another laugh._

_Then it stopped._

_She felt the smile fall from her face as the clock halted at four o'clock. Crawling forward, she tapped it gently to get it moving again. Her eyebrow furrowed as she picked it up with both hands and shook it._

_"I'm here so it doesn't need to move anymore."_

_Natalya stopped, her hands held out in front of her. Slowly, she let the clock fall against her chest and turned around. Across from her, a full body mirror revealed a woman who looked just like her, watching her pitifully. The clock fell to the covers. Natalya's eyes widened and slowly she inched forward. She swung her legs off the bed and the room around her seemed to fade away. _

_Prudently, she stepped towards the mirror and stopped a foot away. Her hands traced her own face as she saw the exact reflection of herself. A soft face, straight locks, a stubborn chin. The only difference between them was their clothing and facial expression. The one in the mirror frowned but not in an angry kind of way… More apologetic and pitiful. Natalya felt the urge to frown herself but kept up a playful smile._

_"You're Belarus."_

_The reflection gave a curt nod. "Yes." She held out a hand. "Come, Natalya. We must go."_

_Natalya shook her head, her smile remaining as if a strong hold against Belarus's frown. She let her hands swing behind her, intertwining her fingers. "Nope! Don't want to go with you."_

_"You must," the reflection replied. "You need to."_

_Natalya stepped back, shaking her head even more. Her body was visibly shaking now. "No." She turned to run but found the mirror in front of her once more. Belarus threw her hand forcibly at her. "You can't make me!" Natalya dug her hands in her hair, covering her ears and screwing her eyes shut. Her smile had been wiped from her features. "I don't want to go with you so I'm not going to go with you!"_

_"…But we're both alone."_

_A silence came between them. Natalya let her eyes open once more and saw the face of Belarus looking back at her. "We," her reflection said, "Have always been alone. And why not be alone together?"_

_Natalya let her hands fall from her head, looking up once more. She let a small smile out. "I'm sorry... I can't go with you. I'm not ready yet. Please, let me stay for a bit longer..."_

_Belarus let her eyes rest on her before sighing tiredly. Her hand fell to her side and she shook her head. "You cannot stay forever. Nothing is forever."_

_Natalya nodded, her eyes downcast. The smile played sadly on her lips. "Yes... I know..." She looked up. "I hate that all I can do is hold it off but... It's better than going now."_

_"You won't have to be alone anymore," the reflection reasoned. "You're giving yourself false hope and that's crappier than what I offer."_

_"Then I'll put up with this crap~" Natalya felt tears trailing down the corner of her eyes and the smile becoming smaller and smaller. "I... I just..."_

_The reflection tapped on the glass with the back of her fist. "I can't force you to come with me so take all the time you want." Natalya sniffled. "But if you're going to stay here, don't act so defeated. It's painful enough I have to do this every time I die, but you're the shittiest case of the bunch. You went through so much just to get here. A prison cell."_

_Natalya wiped her tears with the corners of her sleeves, perking up with a larger smile. "...Thank you but I like it here."_

_Belarus crossed her arms, a frown evident. "Don't thank me for letting you torture yourself. I can't do anything in this situation besides watch you act helplessly."_

_"Then thank you for standing by me."_

_The reflection sat on the floor, sitting folding her legs on top of each other. Natalya mimicked her but instead sitting upright as her legs were beneath her. Belarus glared at her. "...You know, we aren't the only two who are effected by your stalling."_

_Natalya chuckled to herself, feeling pleased with knowing what Belarus meant. "Yes... I hope she'll forgive me."_

_Icy blue eyes turned upward in thought, gazing into the nothingness that surrounded them. "We shall see."_

* * *

**_Author's Note:_**

**_I HAD SO MUCH TROUBLE WITH THIS CHAPTER. I'M STILL HAVING TROUBLE WITH IT. Gladly, it has a general preview of what I want to do with the story so I'm at least thankful for that. Well, I'll let you guys muse over what is going to happen while I smooth out the plot. Hopefully. Also, expect the next chapter to come sooner than this one._**


	6. The Trio

**This chapter is considered "Safe For Work."**

*****Warnings: Coarse language and Violence mention.*****

*****Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia nor the characters in this chapter. The plot is mine.*****

* * *

Her eyes flew open as she slowly breathed in and then out. She blinked a couple times, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand and trying to remember. After a moment, Belarus's memory returned to her, hazy at first but slowly clearing as she rubbed her sleep laden eyes. She was in the hospital. The bastard Japan-look alike who insisted on being called Honda nearly killed her. She dozed off soon after he left. Belarus sat up and looked over at the clock. About an hour had passed since she had fallen asleep.

"It's alright…" She muttered instinctively, "You've got to move on now."

Belarus blinked a bit in surprise. It's been a while since this habit had occurred. Most likely due to the near death experience. She crawled forward and felt the front of her bed frame. Her hand made contact with a smooth, wide surface and she brought it up. The clipboard with her medical status. Eyes skimmed over the information as she flipped through the pages.

"'Treament began at 2:46 A.M… Class three blood loss… Around 2.9 liters lost… Blood transfusion will take 18 and a half hours… Release will be a day after blood transfusion is completed'," she muttered. Belarus skipped to the most recent one. "'Current status: 12 hours since the blood transfusion began. Blood transfusion has been on schedule and patient has completed 4 bags. No signs that blood type is being denied'." She tossed the clipboard to the chair, sending the small bear sitting on it to fall to the floor. "I have to stay in the hospital for two days because of that asshole."

Belarus stared blankly at the ceiling. He had left saying he had a meeting with Feliciano and Ludwig. From her memory, she could guess that those two were the other former Axis members. That air-headed Italian and the uptight German, right? But… The Japan here was a complete bastard. At least she could tolerate the one in her world. How many more bastards was she going to meet?

The door slammed open once more, ending her thoughts.

She cussed, sitting up to see her visitor had returned from his meeting. "Speak of the devil." Belarus picked up the bear from the floor and threw it at his head. He caught it casually. "You left your shitty pincushion."

Japan shook his finger. "Now, now, Ms. Arlovskaya. Speaking in front of your guests like that is impolite."

"But it's only you." Japan stepped forward to let in two other men who raised their eyebrows in surprise. He closed the door behind them and Belarus's eyes narrowed. Her hunch was correct. Before her stood the near-carbon copies of the Italy and Germany from her world. However, the way they carried themselves was… different to say the least. It was as if they were completely people. She could see it more on the Italian but if she examined Germany closely enough she could say the same for him. She turned back to Japan. "You wanted to show off the person you nearly killed? You're more insane than I thought."

He sighed. "I was expecting something more along the lines of 'oh joy, company.' But this works too." He motioned to the two men. "Feliciano Vargas, the representation of Northern Italy. Ludwig Beilschmidt, the representation of Germany." Japan nodded to her. "This is Natalya Arlovskaya, the representation of Belarus."

Italy raised an eyebrow. "But we've already met… Haven't we?" He paused for a moment, examining her the best he could from a distance. "Why are you in the hospital?" He looked over to Germany. "If Kiku harmed her, wouldn't she already have healed?"

Germany nodded in agreement, taking a seat on the window sill. "From what I know, yes, she should have." He sneered at her. "What's with the attitude?"

Japan sighed, glancing at Belarus. She just stared murderously at all of them, mostly sending daggers at her former attacker. In response, he toyed with his teddy bear. "This Belarus is not our Belarus. She comes from an alternate dimension where people like us are known as nations and they can die."

The men stared at Japan. Germany shifted in his seat. "That makes total sense."

Belarus looked over to him, disbelief scrawled across her face. "It does?"

"Of course not, I was just amusing Kiku's fantasy for a little bit. Seriously, Natalya-" His vision was suddenly clouded with white. The pillow fell from his face and into his hands. Italy started chuckling in amusement at Germany's expression whilst Japan sighed at the seething Belarus.

"She prefers to be called by her country name," Kiku explained. "However, due to the rules of this dimension, Ms. Arlovskaya has allowed us to address her by her last name. In turn, she will address us by our names."

Belarus scoffed. "The only thing I'm calling you is bastard." Japan pouted, upset his noble statement received less than satisfactory rewards. "If you really think I'm going to let you off so easily for almost killing me-"

"I don't expect you to. But I do expect you to cooperate until we find out what to do." Japan looked at his teddy bear, straightening its bow. "And if this cute toy doesn't make it up to you, I don't know what will."

Italy sighed, brushing his hair back. "Classic Kiku." He turned to Belarus. "Ms. Arlovskaya, you can address me as Feliciano. We'll try to clear this up as best we can as soon as we can."

The German huffed, throwing the pillow back into her lap. "Fine. Just call me Ludwig. If I hear any of this Mr. Beilschmidt stuff I'll feel like an old man. Being old is my brother's job." He set his hands in his lap. "But one thing has just occurred to me. If what Kiku says is true, Arlovskaya is the one that caused all the commotion last night."

Belarus raised her head, her stature stiffening. "Commotion?"

Italy nodded. "Si. There was a worldwide panic last night between the nations. Kiku has already confirmed he sensed you around the time the panic arose."

"So let's say we believe Kiku," Germany rose from his seat, standing tall. "And Arlovskaya is from another world. How did it happen?"

"I believe I said dimension." Japan turned to address Belarus. "Did you not mention Arthur was involved?"

Belarus raised an eyebrow in confusion, trying to match the name with the country. "You mean... England? Yes, he must have done something to send me here using some sort of voodoo."

"Kirkland doesn't deal with that stuff," Germany scoffed before letting his words drop. His head turned to the other two. "Does he?"

Italy shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine. He prefers to keep to himself." He scratched his cheek. "Though I really wish he'd give his face a break once and a while from those smiles. It hurts to watch." Italy tilted his head towards Belarus. "He's not the only one though. The you in this world can't get enough of those fake smiles."

Belarus huffed in anger. The nerve of her in this world. Just thinking about it made her sick. On the other hand, Germany leant against the window even more. "Wait, we were just talking theoretically here-"

The redhead looked over to Germany with a stern expression. His eyelids lowered in seriousness and lips thinned. "Ludwig, I understand this must be hard to accept but I will solve all your doubts with one question." He turned back to Belarus. "Ms. Arlovskaya, could you please tell us how you feel about Ivan Braginski?"

She perked up, sitting up straight and hugging the pillow tightly. "Big Brother… I love him very much. I want to be with him but I know I shouldn't. If I could, I would, but I have proven I need to be my own person." She paused, letting her fingers dig into the covers. "I used to chase him everywhere and demand for our marriage-" Italy held up his hand, stopping her mid sentence. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion as the Italian looked over to the German, his expression somewhat disgusted himself.

"Do you believe it now?"

Germany's eyes were wide and he stared at her in disbelief. He rose from his seat and over to the clipboard on the chair. His fingers flipped through the papers quickly, as if trying to make sense out of what she just said. "She may be suffering from the major blood loss-"

"Ludwig."

"-The lack of blood circulation-"

"Ludwig."

"-Thus bringing forth delusions-"

"Ludwig Beilschmidt."

"-Causing this abrupt sense of sudden devo- ouch!" Italy held the clipboard firmly in his hand, taking it away from Germany's head. Germany rubbed his head slightly as Italy began to look through the papers himself.

"Hm… Damn, Kiku, you went soft on her. Usually you'd go for a clean throat cut but instead you went for the forearm." He raised his eyes to Germany again. "Ludwig, she can't regenerate or heal quickly, she refuses to be called by her human name, and we can tell she is definitely a nation. Any other objections as to why she can't be from another world?" Germany tilted his head, still unwilling to accept the theory. "For God's sake, Ludwig, she wanted to _marry_ Ivan. Blood loss can't change her that- MIRACLES can't change her like that."

Germany sighed in defeat. "Fine. I'll accept Arlovskaya is from a different dimension _for the time being_. It'll be easier on all of us." Italy flashed a satisfied smile at him. He huffed. "Back to the matter at hand, what do we do now?"

Japan scratched his head. "I'm… Not entirely sure." He sent a pleading look at Italy. "I haven't thought that far. For the most part, I found it best that Ms. Arlovskaya stays at my home-"

"No," she intercepted plainly. "If you do that, I will stab you in your sleep. Repeatedly. And you will notice nothing until you wake up in the morning and find your bed stained with so much blood you'd think you just got a fucking period."

Italy sighed. "She's a ray of sunshine, isn't she, Kiku. I wish you luck in housing her."

A small smile slipped on the Asian's face. "I'd like to see you try, Ms. Arlovskaya. Though, you must note that I am in possession of your belongings." Belarus grimaced. "Please cooperate with us until we get everything straightened-" He stopped mid sentence, feeling something off. His face contorted and he took a couple steps back.

The Italian placed a hand on his shoulder. "Kiku, what's wrong?" The Asian remained completely still and Italy shook him softly at first but grew in intensity. "Hey, Kiku!"

A large hand pushed Italy aside and Germany took a closer look at Japan. He peered into Japan's eyes and put his ear next to Japan's nose. Not taking his eyes off his patient, Germany signaled for Italy to secure the area. The redhead grabbed the chair, putting it up against the door, then made his way to the curtains, pulling them close. He flipped on the light switch as Germany continued to examine Japan.

Belarus watched in confusion from her bedside as she saw the Japanese man stand completely still. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion and Italy sat at her bedside, patting her hand softly. Under other circumstances, she would have scared him off. But such a sudden halt… She felt a series of shivers travel up her spine and the room seemed to drop several degrees. Her breathing became uneven, as if panic were slowly building up inside of her. What was happening? Why did these two seem so calm about this? Why was she the one panicking? She had seen much worse, felt much worse. In a way, she would describe it as a ghost passing over her being but… eerier.

"This happens a lot here," Italy said softly, his voice barely a whisper. He seemed to notice her internal panic and continued to pat her hand in attempts to soothe her. "It really is frightening to see another nation like this." He turned face to face with Belarus. His eyes were completely sincere, as if trying to calm a frightened animal. "Does this happen in your world?" She shook her head slowly, extremely displeased at her uncontrollable fear. A feeling of dread continued to take over her and she felt the need to tear her eyes away from Japan. Despite the shivers she got from looking at Japan, Italy turned his attention to the frozen nation and his examiner. "When nations get as old as him, they tend to have these pauses in existence, usually when receiving an intense emotion. We call them lapses. So much time has passed them by that they sometimes forget they live. The reasoning is when you don't die and time seems meaningless, why exist?" Belarus kept her eyes on the two, silently watching. As much as she wanted to look away, she felt compelled to keep watching, as if she wanted to share in his eerie frozen-ness. "When they get like this, all we can hope is they keep breathing." Italy sent her a comforting smile which was immediately overlooked. He sighed in turned before looking back at the other two. "Besides, Ludwig is here. He's an expert on this stuff and no matter how gruff he is he does get attached easily."

"I can hear you from here."

Italy gave a giggle. "Yeah, I know."

Germany placed two fingers on Japan's neck, placing the same fingers on his other hand on his own neck. After a few moments, he let his hands drop. "All his vitals are good. He should only be out for a minute or so more."

Belarus pulled her hands on her lap, staring downward and relieved to finally have pulled her eyes away. Silently, her mind raced with questions that she didn't exactly know how to phrase. Finally, she sorted out the words she needed. "How... long would one of these things last?"

Germany took a seat on Belarus's bed as well, ignoring her look of indignation. Apparently her bed was free to be sat on. "The longest lapse we know of is about a month. But countries go into isolation quite a lot and aren't always monitored, so some could have lasted over a year, maybe several. In those cases, their vitals would drop, making them seem as if in a coma." He sighed. "These fucking pauses scare the crap out of anyone that is near by. It gives me the creeps..."

Italy patted his friend's shoulder. "Aw, Luddy. Don't be scared. Feli is here so there's no worries."

Germany pushed his face back. "Buzz off, idiot. I don't even know how I put up with you."

Italy stuck his tongue out teasingly. "You know you hang out with me because you enjoy my company~"

The German huffed. "As much as a cat loves baths."

"Perfect analogy! You'd stink without me!"

The blonde turned over to him, bringing out his right hand. The palm was up and thumb tucked in. He moved it left to right, keeping his wrist in place and an annoyed expression. "Mazzate, caryona?"

Italy burst out laughing, hugging his stomach. "Hai rotto le palle con il tuo italiano del cazzo."

"It's because you refuse to learn German!"

"'Life is too short to learn German.'"

"German isn't that hard to learn!"

"I do remember one German phrase."

"And what is that, little dumkopf?"

"'Die Schrecken der deutschen Sprache.'"

Italy laughed hysterically, clutching his stomach while Germany continued to fume. Their onlooker sighed. Extremely tired and bored of their antics, she pressed a hand against both of their backs and threw them off her bed. Italy proceeded to let out gasps of amusement, rolling around helplessly on the floor while the German picked himself up from the floor. He groaned and rubbed his head, sending glares at Belarus.

"I don't like you."

She narrowed her eyes. "The feeling is mutual."

"Glad we have an understanding." Germany sat on the floor now, not really interested in sitting on her bed again. He poked the rolling Italian on his stomach. "Oi, stop looking like an idiot."

"B-But! The look on! Y-Your face!" Italy continued laughing hysterically on the ground, his body quivering with giddiness. Germany sighed, completely annoyed by Italy's antics. The whole room seemed to let out a breath and the overbearing atmosphere from earlier lifted.

Belarus returned her attention to Japan as he took a breath and stepped forward, placing a hand on his chest. He gave a bewildered look at the chortling nation.

"I had... Another lapse?" He shook his head. "It doesn't matter. Right now, there seems to be other pressing matters." Germany looked up at Japan but remained seated. "Someone else just came into my country."

Italy took one more shaking breath before patting his chest. He stood up, wiping down his pants. "One of us, I assume." He turned to Germany. "Clear the room." The German obliged, opening the curtains and placing the chair next to the bed. He sat in it for a moment before remembering Belarus. Glaring at her, he picked it up and set it next to the door instead, to listen if anyone approached.

Japan rubbed his chest. "I don't seem to recognize who it is just yet... Maybe because it was so sudden-" A vibrating sound interrupted him. He felt around in his pocket and pulled out his phone. The Asian looked up at Italy who nodded. Japan slid his thumb across the screen, setting it on speaker. "Moshi moshi."

_"Honda, it's me."_

Belarus cringed at the sound of his voice. She could recognize it anywhere, even in this foreign dimension. Despite knowing exactly who it was, she felt something different about this one. He seemed to speak softer and more concise. In her split moment of observing, she concluded that it must just be the fact that he was heard on speaker. Then again, it seemed like the one on the other line was on speaker too.

"Hello, Alfred. What is the purpose of this call?"

_"I just arrived in your country."_ Italy started exchanging glances with Germany who remained seated next to the door. "_Well, me and some others."_

Japan narrowed his eyes, turning to the window. "Oh? Who?" His voice hardened a bit, almost in annoyance.

_"The some of the members of the UN Security Council."_

The three men froze. Japan rubbed his chin, carefully considering what to say. "A pleasure to have you all here. Unexpected... but a pleasure. You do realize that a surprise visit from you caused me to have a lapse?"

_"Oh, sorry about that!"_ An alternate, but cheery, voice intervened, _"We didn't think you'd mind that much since no one could contact you!"_

Italy raised his hand to Japan, signaling he'd answer. He took the phone from Japan, holding it close to his mouth. "We told you that he contacted us."

_"Feliciano, you're there too?"_

"Of course. I'm spending my vacation here with my good friends. Isn't that right, Ludwig?" Germany grunted. "See?"

_"Oi, Kiku!"_ A third voice yelled, creating a series of banging noises in the background. _"I called you all last night! Why didn't you answer me? Or anyone else for that matter? Huh?"_

Japan bit his lip, glancing at Belarus. He remained silent. Belarus raised an eyebrow. The three of them didn't confide in her the complete story. Most likely the other Asian countries had called Japan but he had not been able to reply… Since he was busy with her.

The first voice chimed back in. _"Either way, we're already on our way to your house. I have Kirkland, Bonnefoy, and Wang Yao with me. Bonnefoy is suffering from jet lag so he fell asleep. Wang just woke up. Kirkland is as bubbly as ever. And I'm driving. Wang, stop moving the phone around, you'll get your turn."_

Italy leaned into the phone, his mouth hovering above the microphone. His eyes, however, remained rested on Japan as if questioningly. "And what about Ivan?"

_"He'll have to play catch up. Something about handling some family matters before coming to Japan."_

Italy raised an eyebrow. "Family matters?"

_"We'll talk more about it when we get to Honda's house."_

"Sorry to disappoint you but we're not there."

From the line came a screech of tires and a group of yells. The phone sounded as if it was thrown about before it was picked up and answered by the cheerful voice.

_"What do you mean you're not there~?"_

"Kiku decided to take us out for some fresh air. We're hanging out at the town near the meeting place."

_"Mhm. Alright, chaps, we'll meet you guys there!"_

"Sure-" The phone was plucked from his hands and eyes turned to Belarus as she held it to her mouth. She stood bare foot on the floor with her IV still attached to her arm. "What are you-"

"What happened to my brother?" She demanded.

_"Wait, who's-"_

Japan grabbed the phone, hanging up. He glared at Belarus before stuffing it in his pocket. "Ms. Arlovskaya, what you just did was anything but wise."

Italy raised an eyebrow before patting the Asian's shoulder. "Don't be so upset, Kiku. It's not like we were hiding-" He noticed the glare he received from his friend and removed his hand to put his hands up in a surrendering motion. "Well, you were. Anyway, what's been said cannot be unsaid." Italy turned to Belarus. "As for you, I'd think it best to lay low."

Belarus gave a humph, crossing her arms. "Why?"

"Because," Italy added in a manner of fact tone. "None of us in this world is necessarily 'evil', despite the fact that some of us- well, all of us can cause harm to each other without a guilty conscience." He glanced over at Japan who continued to glare at them. "But I wouldn't immediately put them in the 'instant friendship forever' zone either. There is no telling what may happen if word gets out there is one of us that is mortal as well as from another world."

"Are you insinuating that they'll try to kill me?" Her eyes widened as the Italian shrugged a bit.

"Maybe… Though I doubt it. Please, for now just cooperate with us and we will do our best to get you home." He placed his hands on his hips, lifting in eyebrow in a questioning manner. "That is what you want, right?"

She stared at him silently, as if trying to read what he was truly thinking. This one was most definitely not an airhead. "Fine," she replied, turning to her bed and shakily sitting down. Belarus had stood up took suddenly after being in bed for quite a while. It was a surprise to her that she didn't fall. Slipping back under the covers, she continued to keep her cold gaze on them.

After her little endeavor, Italy let out a small sigh and put up his hands in a reasoning manner. "I know this will be much to request, but try to get along with Kiku, Ms. Arlovskaya."

She stared at him in shock, looking between the Mediterranean man and the Asian."Hmph! That bastard?"

Japan waved his hand at her. "I'm still in the room."

"And you're still getting on my last nerves." Italy gave her a pleading look, almost expectant. He seemed to have a higher standard of her than most… "I will tolerate him. But 'getting along' is no where near to what I plan to do."

"Will you at least not stab him in his sleep?" She crossed her arms once more, firm on her answer. "...Kiku, I think it would be best you let her stay somewhere other than your home. Better yet, don't let her know your address."

Japan shrugged nonchalantly. "She could stay with you two."

Germany and Belarus made eye contact with one another before turning their attention to the Italian. "No," they recited in unison.

Their host sighed, leaning over to pick up the bear he had dropped during his lapse. "Very well, I'll set up some reservations at a hotel. We'll transfer you there upon your release."

"I can deal with that."

Italy brought his hands together in relief, happy that they had come to a resolution. "Then it's settled." He turned to the other two. "Alright then, we should go now you two."

She looked at them confused. The German stood up and Japan wiped the last bit of fluff from his bear. "...Where are you three going?"

"To meet up with our visitors." He pushed the shoulders of the two nations, coaxing them to the doorway. Neither complained. "And make up something along the way~ Bye, Ms. Arlovskaya~"

"Hey, wait-" But they were out the door with a wave of Italy's hand. The door shut and she was once again alone. She let out a frustrated groan before smacking her head back onto the pillow. Her eyes trailed over the cracks in the pristine white ceiling, trying to process everything that was told to her. "At least I can think properly without them blabbering," she muttered to herself. "But…"

Her mind flipped back to that moment of fear and confusion. Those lapses… Why did they scare her so much? And these nations, why were they so different? How come they could regenerate? Why did they keep their nation status a secret? She took a deep intake of air before forcefully letting it out. Repeatedly, she breathed this way until she came to a… somewhat relaxed state. But one thought in particular festered in her mind, prodding her repeatedly.

_What made our worlds so different?_

* * *

_**Translations:**_

**Mazzate, caryona?- **_Want to be beaten, asshole?_

((From these links . #axzz38pqSibik

curse_and_swear/italian))

**Hai rotto le palle con il tuo italiano del cazzo.- **_You broke my balls with your shitty Italian._

**Life is too short to learn German.**

_-Quote from Oscar Wilde_

**Die Schrecken der deutschen Sprache.- **_The Awful German language. ((A speech given by Mark Twain. In German. Iroooony.))_

* * *

_**Author's Note:**_

_**And another chapter done! It's suuuuuper long, much longer than I expected, and not really corrected. Sorry about that! School is coming up and I still have to complete my summer reading so that's a big set back. Not to mention all this other stuff I have wrought upon myself… Anyway! Correction to the new story I'd be posting! I will not be doing the original Human!Hetalia AU I said i would since it needs AN UTTER PLOT CHANGE. Instead, I'll be working on another Human!Hetalia AU with lots of angst and such. Exciting~ In other news, I still… don't have a plot… for An End Is A Beginning. I will try to get it to work but maaaan these times are hard. Uh… I guess that's it? Oh! I would like to thank the internet for translations and will be updating the character profiles on my profile. Also, feel free to do the poll on the top of my profile page. It'd reaaaaally help. Ok, until next time!**_


	7. The Other Side of the Glass

**This chapter is considered "Safe For Work."**

*****Warnings: Blood and violence mention.*****

*****Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia nor the characters in this chapter. The plot is mine.*****

* * *

In Minsk, the daylight had just begun flooding into the land. One man sat in the living room, his hand ruffling through his hair in a frustrated manner. His tall stature was stooped over, his red eyes heavy from lack of sleep. He rose once more, going down a corridor. He stopped in front of a closed door, reaching his gloved hand forward but retracting after a moment.

"I... Really shouldn't. But..." His eyes widened as he heard a tortured moan from inside. He threw open the door, looking towards the bed and the two figures laying on it: one completely engulfed by the blanket and the other fast asleep. Brow furrowed, he stalked over to the bed and pulled the second woman upwards.

"Wake up!" The woman shook awake, her eyes flew open and she looked around to settle her gaze on her brother. She blinked a couple times, letting the haze of sleep drop off.

"Ivan, you are not to talk to me in that tone, do you understand?" She cuffed him on the side of the head and he dropped her, rubbing his struck ear. "Speaking to your Big Sister in such a way. It's insulting!" The woman crossed her arms, sneering at him. Her violet eyes glimmered intensely. "Now, speak to me in a polite manner!"

The man, the representation of Russia, grimaced a bit but used to this type of battery. "I apologize, Yekaterina... It's just, you didn't report to me for the last two hours I began to get worried..." He then turned angrily toward her, his red eyes flaring. "What do you think you're doing? We're here for a reason and-"

Another groan came from the bundle and both tore their gazes from each other. Ukraine crawled over to her, pulling the blanket from her face. "Natalya, how are you feeling?"

Inside the blanket, a girl let her eyes open to slight slit, the fuchsia of her irises barely showing. Her eyes crashed closed once more and she let out another groan. "I... This shouldn't be..." She groaned once more and Ukraine rubbed her arm. Belarus looked over at Russia, her face twisting in distaste. "You're... Here? I thought... I told you not to come."

Russia frowned sadly. "I was worried about you. I had been waiting in the living room, waiting for Yekaterina to tell me what's happening."

Belarus growled at him before turning over. "If I wasn't like this, I would throw you out..."

Ukraine shook her head, rubbing her sister's arm and glaring at Russia. "You should have stayed in the living room." She turned back to Belarus. "I don't know what's wrong with you. It may be stomach cramps but you're not clutching your stomach. I don't know what's happening."

"I'm... Not in pain..."

Ukraine and Russia raised their eyebrows. Russia leaned forward. "Why didn't you tell us that?!"

Belarus looked over at the wall, her eyes spacing out. "It's like... I'm wrestling for existence..." She let out another groan before turning her attention to her brother. "Now... If you don't mind, I want you to leave."

His eyes widened in distress before he frowned in turn and spun on his heel. "Fine. I had to leave for a trip to Japan anyway. Something's amiss there, not that you care. You know, Security Council business." He stomped to the doorway, stopping a moment. "I hope you get better."

"Wait."

At the sound of her voice, Russia turned around, his eyes widened in expectancy. "Natalya, what is it?" Belarus slowly sat up in her bed. Her eyes seemed glazed over, cloudy, as if something else had taken over her. The air around her seemed distant, otherworldly.

"I... Need to go with you."

Ukraine held up her hand. "Natalya, you aren't well-"

"I need to go!" She wrestled to her feet, throwing the blanket off her. Belarus stumbled forward a bit, but regained her balance. Shakily, she forced herself to make her way to Russia and looked up at him with her cloudy, determined eyes. "Take me with you, Big Brother."

Russia looked down at her in surprise. His frown stood firm for but a moment before quivering. A sniffle came from him and the corners of his eyes started welling up with tears. He stepped forward, pulling Belarus into a hug. "You called me Big Brotherrrrrrrr!" She grimaced as he wailed in her ear, only. "I'm so happy! Of course I'll bring you to Japan with me!"

Ukraine crawled across the bed. "Hey, she shouldn't go-"

Russia glared at her, teeth bared. "Stay out of this! You just want to ruin our brother-sister bonding!" He nuzzled the side of Belarus's head. "You get your luggage and we'll go right away!" Russia let her go, starting for the door. "I already finished packing! My luggage is in the car so we'll go as soon as you're ready!"

The door slammed shut, leaving the two sisters together. Ukraine frowned looking at Belarus's back. Her eyebrows were furrowed and mouth in a slight frown. "Are you sure you want to go, Natalya? You aren't well."

"I will go," she stated plainly. Her voice seemed other worldly, completely void of her usually cherry disposition. Ukraine swung her legs off the bed, reaching out for her sister with fingers outstretched. As if sensing the action, the Belarusian turned at that moment to her closet, coming out of reach. "Thank you for coming," she continued. "But I must get ready."

The older sister sat on that bed, watching her little one bring out a large duffel bag and pull clothes from her dressers. They were silent as she finished her packing, dumping the bag on the floor. Eyes looked up and Ukraine climbed off the bed as Belarus fixed it. "I'll need to change," Belarus commented as she finished the bed and made for the closet once more.

Taking a hint, Ukraine walked cooly to the door, pulling it ajar before halting. "I don't want you to go." Her soft voice was barely audible but in the dead silent room it resonated clearly.

Belarus paused from her tasks, looking to her sister with a chilling light. This low light alone escaped the cloudiness that drowned her eyes. "We haven't done anything you wanted us to in a long time. Why start now?" Ukraine gripped the doorknob strongly, throwing it open and slamming it shut with passion. Somewhat satisfied, Belarus smiled. It had been a long time since she had been rude, said something without caring how the other would feel, said something that made her feel good inside. She felt refreshed, rejuvenated. Did the other her feel this way then? Free?

She blinked, looking down at the sweater in her hand. Other... her? Wherever did she get an idea like that? The pains came once more and she gasped in surprise, leaning on the closet's doorframe to keep from falling to her knees. Closing her eyes, she felt as if something was gently suffocating her, clasping their hands around her neck and wringing it softly.

_You are the only Belarus_, the voice echoed, _no one else can take that away from you._

No. No one could take that away from her. Bringing herself to her feet and pulling on her change of clothes, Belarus looked to a small mirror that barely fit her whole face. She smiled to her reflection, the clouded veil over her eyes growing stronger.

"I am the only Republic of Belarus. And I will eliminate all impostors."

* * *

At the edge of the rural town, an old farm stood, as it had for centuries. The farm, simple in every way shape or form, currently had several crops freshly planted. The only way one could differentiate the farm area and the surrounding forest was the rickety gate that encircled the small plot of land. Despite its humble appearance, the farm seemed to be very popular with tourists.

The sun had yet an hour to touch the horizon when a large van, dark blue in color, pulled up to the gate. The windows had been rolled up and the only things made out from the black tinted glass were four silhouettes. The driver rolled down the window, looking out at the small farm house. He pressed the horn gently twice, leaning on the sill and letting the sunlight splinter against his sunglasses.

The door to the small farmhouse creaked ajar, a small child peeking it. His bangs fell over his eyes and he took a moment to brush them away. The door escaped his grasps and the child would have tumbled if his father had not caught him. From any view point, the man and his child were an exact replica of one another. The only difference being age. The child was placed on the ground and the man looked over to the gate, making his way to the awaiting car.

Without a word, he opened the gate, sliding it open and stepping aside. The van inched forward, going in as much as it needed to so the gate could be closed once more. As it came to a close, the driver's window came down and the man approached, glancing back at his home to see his wife, a woman of average beauty, standing with their child in her arms. The man with brown hair and dark sunglasses pulled his head out, looking at the one who let them in.

"It's been a while, NN," the driver greeted.

A voice rang out from behind him. "Oh, Alfred, it's not been that long. Only a month has passed!" A man with bright blonde hair pushed America aside, peeking over his shoulder with a smile. "Hello, Niko Niko!" Niko Niko visually tensed. "Ah! Sorry, chap! It's Hajime now, right? Hajime Wakahisa?"

The former country made no sign to confirm it and instead acted as if he had heard nothing from the Englishman. "Arthur. Alfred. Who else came with you?"

"Francis and Wang Yao." Niko Niko tensed, realizing that the top Security Council members were present. Not noticing or deciding not to, England looked through the front windshield onto the ground. Tire tracks covered the ground, going through the farm and behind the household. "I'll assume they got here before us?"

Another nod. "Yes. You know where to go." The Japanese man turned, returning to his family without another word.

America watched the man go before looking back at the passenger's seat's occupant. "You know we don't call him by his country name. What were you thinking." England shrugged at that rhetorical question, a mischievous grin playing on his features. Sighing at the older nation's mocking silence, America rolled up the window only to catch a glimpse of Niko Niko returning inside with his family. His wife's gaze looked curiously at the car as she always did before turning her eyes to her silent husband. He coaxed them inside wordlessly, refusing to turn once more. As the door closed, America hmphed, switching the gears and driving through the farm.

The trip continued in silence, seeing as Francis and Wang Yao had fallen asleep about an hour before, with small bumps here and there. As they reached the end of the farm, a dirt path revealed itself betwixt the trees. Taking that road, the van jerked slightly as it began its path through the wilder route. Trees surrounded them like infantry and America frowned before taking his hand of the wheel to wave to England.

"Hey, wake up the other two, will ya. We'll be there soon and groggy grandpas ain't going to do much for the Security Council motif." England chuckled, procuring an angry frown the other. "What the hell is that for?"

England looked to his former colony, a kinder light in his eyes. "You always act that way when you think no one but me is paying attention." He received a growl in response. "Oh, pish posh, I won't say anything to anyone else. That'd only make you stop."

"Just wake them up."

With a smile, England turned around in his seat, prodding the knee of the Asian nation. "Wang Yao~" China replied with a moan, turning over to France. The Brit prodded his knee once more. "If you don't wake up, I'll cut your hair~"

"I'm up!" China exclaimed, sitting up right and glaring at England. "You will not touch my ponytail, do you understand? You and your assimilation..."

"Aw, but it'd look so good on you," England retorted with a pout. "It wouldn't hurt for a little snip snap?" He paused, looking over at America. "Now that I think about it, your hair is-"

"Boston. Tea Party." America's voice carried an edge to it. "That was the last time you told me what to do."

"Well, actually-"

"The LAST. TIME." His volume rose steadily throughout the statement, enforcing the finality of the subject. America jerked the wheel, causing all the surprised riders to jump in their seats. Even the slumbering France was shaken awake, his eyes blinking away the dreams. He looked around him, frowning slightly.

"Woah there. What happened?"

"On our way to the meeting house," England replied cheerily, having recovered from the sudden turn. "Kiku will meet us, as well as Feliciano and Ludwig." The blonde put a finger against his lips. "They'll be telling us what happened last night~"

"There's also that weird voice." China looked worriedly out the window at the passing trees. His brow furrowed and thoughts strayed to his younger brother.

France crossed his arms in confusion. "Weird voice?"

"We called them and they said to meet us here," America reported. "They hung up the phone when someone else butted in. They're definitely hiding something."

The car grew silent once more and they finally came into an enormous paved parking lot. Only two other cars had been parked in the area. America pulled up to the right of the red vehicle, turning off the engine and stuffing the keys into his pocket. In silence, the group exited the car. America lead the way with China close behind as they tread up a dirt path framed by stones. France started to follow but stopped as he found England examining the car, a knowing grin on his face. Despite the urgency they felt at getting to the meeting, France walked back, looking through the window himself.

"What are you looking for, Angleterre?" The Brit let out a small chuckle, not removing his eyes from the car's interior.

"Since your eyesight is failing you, try giving it a whiff." France felt his frown deepen. "I'm telling you to use the senses you do have. You have a better sense of smell than most. Use it." Hesitating for a moment, France put his nose closer to the barely cracked car window and sniffed. He immediately recoiled, covering his nose. England smiled. "So you did smell it."

"That's..."

"Blood. Yes." He rose from his position, turning to France. "I wasn't so sure at first but you confirmed it." He clasped his hands together, pulling France out of his stupor. "Now! Let's go interrogate the suspects shall we? We shouldn't let questions fester too long."

* * *

_**Translations:**_

**Angleterre- England**

* * *

_**Author's Note:**_

_**Finally posted! We now introduce new characters! There will probably be a couple more but here we are! Such suspense~ Next chapter we'll show the meeting. Again, sorry I've been holding up so long. I've been caught up with school, especially now that I'm a club president and I have plan a little too big for my short self. ****Plotting is still killing me for "An End Is A Beginning" yet ideas are absolutely abundant. Words can be so hard. Yippee. Now, thanks to my beta reader as well as my friend who helped with choosing Niko Niko's name! Until the next posting, feel free to review!**_

_**Edit: I found some errors so I came back to fix them. **_


End file.
